Apparatus for developing and fixing cartridge photographic films.



Patented Aug. I2, I902.

M. REICHERT.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FIXING CARTRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

(Application filed Feb. 3. 1902.)

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.No. 706,852. Patented Aug. I2, 1902. M. REICHERT.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FIXING CARTRIDGE PHOTOGRAPH|C,FILMS.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1902.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX REIOHFRT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FIXING CARTRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,852, dated August12, 1902.

Application filed February 3,1902. Serial No. 92,418. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX REIOHERT, traveler, a subject of His Majesty theKing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 11 Burgoyne road, SouthNorwood, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Apparatusfor Developing and Fixing Oartridge Photographic Films; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention, which relates to means or apparatus fordeveloping and fixing cartridge photographic films for daylight loading,is to enable an exposed cartridgespool arranged within a developing-boxmade light-tight by a detachable lid or cover to be unrolled and itsfilm suitably exposed or extended for development after the box has beenclosed and without admitting light by the single operation of drawingthe backingpaper from off the spool. The same lighttight developing-boxis also adapted for fixing and washing the developed films, as willhereinafter appear, means being provided for introducing and drawing offliquids without admitting light to the box. My invention permits a filmmany times the length of the box to be extended in the latter ready fordevelopment, as will hereinafter appear. The well-known principle oftime development is adoptedviz., that for a given actinometermeasuredexposure and a given strength of developer a certain time of developmentis needed. My invention renders it unnecessary for the operator to entera dark room, and he can perform the developing and subsequent operationswhile in daylight or other actinic light.

According to my invention the exposed spool-cartridge is arranged acrossthe upper part of the developing-box aforesaid in a convenient holderand is unrolled when the box is closed by drawing off its backing-paperthrough a slot provided near the upper part of the box and furnishedwith a light-excluder. By. this means the object aimed at may beattainedviz., to draw off or unroll the backing-paper without admittinglight to the box and to keep it at the same time clear of the lowerportion or developing-space of the latter. The spool is so placed in itsholder that the film unrolls downward as the backing-paper is drawn off,and a device for holding or engaging the free end of the film isprovided, whereby as the latter is unrolled from the spool it isprevented from recurling into a spiral and caused to descend into andsettle in the dcveloping-space of the box in a more or less extendedcondition, which allows the developing and other solutions to have freeaccess to all parts of its surface. The developing and other solutionsor liquids are introduced through a funnel, (which may be detachable,)said funnel communicating with the interior of the box by a pipe orpassage which is bent or made tortuous, so as to form a light-trap, andan ordinary draw-off siphon-tube is also provided for emptying the box.

In order that my invention maybe clearly understood, I will now describeapparatus constructed and arranged in accordance therewith, havingreference to the annexed drawings, in which similar letters refer tocorresponding parts in all the figures, and wherein c Figure l is asectional side elevation of such apparatus, showing the exposedcartridgespool adjusted ready for the film to be unrolledbydrawingoftthebacking-paper. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the filmfully unrolled. Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 4L is a planview of the under side of the lid, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section ofthe lid, showing the funnel and inlet-pipe, the spool-holder, and thefilm-clip. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the box-body, showing thedraw-oil siphon. Fig. 7 is adetail; and Fig. 8 is a view of similarcharacter to Figs. 1 and 2, showing slightly-modified apparatus suitablefor the development of films of short length.

a is the body of the developing-box, from which all light is excluded bythe detachable closely-fitting lid 1).

c is the draw-off siphon, of ordinary con= struction, and (Z theinlet-pipe, which is bent or cranked to exclude the passage of light. Adetachable filling-funnel 6, Fig. 5, may

screw into a socket d on the end of said inlet-pipe, or the latter maylead from a well sunk in the lid, as considered preferable.

- The spool-holderarranged at the upper part of the developing-box, soas to be clear of the developing-space, comprises two springarms f,attached to the lid and provided with short trunnions f, Fig. 5, adaptedto enter the bore of the spool g, which is sprung into position betweensaid arms. A spring h is preferably provided, adapted to bear lightly onthe circumference of the spool, so as to resist the natural tendency ofthe latter to uncurl and keep it closely coiled.

Transversely of the lid 5 is formed the slot t', Fig. 3, which is ofsufficient length to permit the passage through it of the backingpaper Zof the cartridge. From the slot t aforesaid a tube m, of flatrectangular section, like a wick-tube, leads downward, and thebacking-paper passes up this tube on its way to the exit-slot t'.

n is a safety-flap hinged to the lid and having side cheeks n. This flapmay be folded down over the exit-slot i, so as to exclude lighttherefrom, and may be held in its closed position by the hingedclip-piece 25. As an additional security against any ray of lightentering the box through the tube m I preferably bend round the lowerend of the latter, so as to provide a flange or light-baffie 0, whichlying across the line of the tube absolutely prevents the entrance ofany light-rays when the backing-paper is passed over it and up the tube,since the backing-paper then seals the space between the flange 0 andthe tube-mouth.

p is a small clip of any suitable construction, preferably arranged toopen by compression and close by spring action and adapted to grip thefree edge of the film s. This clip is secured to one end of a flexibleattachment or band q, of which the other extremity is suitably attachedto some part of the lid. In the drawings it is shown as held in a clipor socket piece r, fixed to the side of the inlet-pipe d. The clipattachment q must be of sufficient length to permit the clip 19 to beapplied to the film edge when j ust sufficient has been unrolled to takehold of.

Theapparatus is used in the following manner: The lid having beenremoved from the box, the exposed cartridge-spool is sprung intoposition between the arms of the spoolholder. The backing-paper Z isthen partially unrolled, and its end is passed over the edge of theflange 0, up the tube m, and out of the exit-slot t. The spool must beso placed in the holder that the unrolled backing-paper will be abovethe film or nearest the lid, Fig. 1. The backing-paper is drawn throughthe exit-slot 7 until the end of the film 3 just appears, and the clippis applied to said end. Since a waste margin is always left at the endof the film, the exposure of the extreme end to actinic light is of noconsequence. The box should now be filled with water to just below thelevel of the top of the siphon c and the lid replaced. The arrangementof the film and backing-paper at this period is clearly seen in Fig. 1.The safety-flap 71 may now be closed down over the slot 1'. Thebacking-paper Z is then carefully drawn out through said slot as far aspossible, and the film 8, held at its end by the clipp, descends faceupward to the bottom of the box, folding over on itself in a series ofloops as it unrolls. (See Fig. 2.) It will thus be seen that the singleoperation of drawing 0d the backing-papercauses the film to arrangeitself in the box in a more or less extended condition ready fordevelopment. The junction of the film and the backing-paper will be justwithin the tube m, (see Fig. 7,) hereinafter more fully referred to. Thewater is now siphoned off by tipping the box so as to start the siphon,and a sufficient quantity of developing solution is introduced throughthe funnel e. The box is now rocked broadwise and lengthwise, so as tocause the developer to flow across and along the film until developmentis completed, when the developer is siphoned offand the film may bewashed or rinsed by placing the funnel 6 under a running tap. Finally,the box having been again emptied, fixing solution is introduced and thebox rocked until fixation is complete. The lid 1) may now be lifted offand the negative examined. The box may then be utilized for the finalwashing in the manner described with reference to the washing beforefixation.

The end of the film is usually connected with the backing-paper by astrip of adhesive paper, and to avoid all risk of this connecting-stripbecoming detached by the action of the liquids and perhaps falling onthe surface of the film I have devised the following arrangement, seedetail Fig. 7:

Across the side of the tube m, near its lower end, I form aninwardlyprojecting rounded rib 'm, as by indenting said tube. The spacebetween the face of the rib and the opposed surface of the tube isonlyjust sufficient to permit the backing-paper to pass freey, so thatwhen the adhesive connectingstrip arrives at this point it will there benipped orjammed, and even should the adhesive connecting material giveway it will not also forms an additional safeguard against the droppingof the adhesive connecting-strip into the box. The said rib m alsoserves as a stop to indicate to the operator when the film has beendrawn out far enough.

To prevent the unrolled film from rising to the top of the box out ofthe reach of the de veloper and to keep it reasonably near the level ofthe latter, I preferably provide guard plates or fingers u, arranged toeffect this. These guard plates or fingers may be conveniently attachedto the lower end of the tube m. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

t Where the length of the film does not greatly be liable to drop. Theflange or light-baffle o I exceed that of the box-as in the case oftwoexposure films, for example-the film will lie in the box in a singleloop, somewhat as shown in Fig. 8, in lieu of in a series of loops, asshown in Fig. 2. In this case guard plates or fingers, such as u, areunnecessary. The box might obviously be made much shallower thanrepresented in Fig. 8 when designed for use with these short films, andmay even be carried in the pocket.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In combination, a light-tight box, aspoolholder in the upper part ofsaid box, means whereby the backing-paper may be drawn off from thespool without admitting light to the box and in a directionsubstantially horizontally and at the upper part of the box, and adevice within the developing-box for holding the free edge of the fillllwhile that portion of the film intermediate of its ends is being drawnfrom the spool, the said box having a space beneath the plane of thespool and the drawing-off means to allow the film to fall from saidplane into position to be acted on by the developer, substantially asdescribed.

2. A developing-box having a spool-holder therein, a device within thebox for holding the outer or free end of the film and means whereby thebacking-paper may be drawn off to thus draw off also the main bodyportion of the film while both its ends are held one on the spool andthe other by the said device, substantially as described.

Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a box and a lid whereinis a lighttrapped aperture through which the backingpaper may be drawnout, a spool-holder with in the box, a clip adapted to grip the freeedge of the film close up to the spool, and means for introducing anddrawing oft liquids without admitting light to the box, both thespool-holder and the clip aforesaid being carried by the lid, wherebythe arrangement of the spool for development and its removal aftertreatment is facilitated, as specified.

4. In apparatus or means for the purpose set forth, the combination of abox made light-tight by a lid wherein is a slot, a tube leading to saidslot through which tube and slot the backing-paper is drawn out, alightbaffie to said tube, a clip connected with the lid by a flexibleattachment and adapted to be placed on the free edge of the film closeup to the spool, and means for introducing and drawing off liquidswithout admitting light, as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MAX REICHERT.

\Vitnesses:

A. E. ALEXANDER, A. DIGGLE.

